Data Sharing – a Case of Shared Databases and Community Use of On-Line GIS Support Systems

Data management is becoming increasingly simple and complex at the same time. The challenge is to effectively use the increasing number of tools available to manage increasing amounts of environmental information for purposes of data capture, analysis, display, sharing and storage. Government is no longer the main collector and provider of data. Community groups possess vast amounts of data collected through daily work of monitoring the environment in their local community. The chief concerns are data access, sharing, integrity and comparability. The capacity of groups to sustain data management is the key to making the sharing possible. The Southeast Environmental Association has been working with Environment Canada to develop a community, on-line database that will be linked to other geo-spatial data sets to allow instant access to geo-referenced data.     

Assessment Of Trampling Simulation Impacts On Native Vegetation In Mediterranean Sclerophyllous Forest

This study examines the effects of visitors on vegetation of natural semi-arid areas of Mediterranean basin using controlled experimental trampling. Impacts were assessed on days 1, 5, 15 and 30 examining presence of plant species, their cover and height in linear transects suffering a constant trampling intensity (25, 75, 100 and 200 passes/day). In addition, the study included the analysis of factors such as plant species, trampling intensity, the cumulative impact (day effect) and the type of footwear on plant variables. The results showed a decrease on plant cover and height influenced by cumulative (day) effect, an effect of trampling intensity and a different effect for each species. In contrast, shoe type affected only slightly the decrease in plant height. The evolution of plant cover revealed which species were most resistant to trampling. The disappearance of plant individuals during trampling appeared to be an impact index better than plant cover, because cover increased in some species when they were trampled thus introducing a bias.     

广州城市绿地系统碳的贮存、分布及其在碳氧平衡中的作用

在研究广州城市绿地植物生物量和净第一性生产量的基础上,通过对城市绿地碳的贮存、分布和固碳放氧能力的估算,探讨城市绿地对城市碳氧平衡的作用。结果表明,城市绿地植物生物量和净生产量分别为287150t和1058122t/a;植物碳贮量和净生产量中的碳量分别为1328649t和462624t/a;绿地光合作用释放的氧量为2242788t/a。植物的光合作用固碳和放氧量分别相当于人口呼吸释放碳和消耗氧量的1.7和1.9倍,但远小于化学燃料燃烧放出的碳和消耗的氧量。如果广州城市绿地能得到适当的保护和改良,其对碳氧平衡的作用将大大提高。     

Macrobenthic Monitoring in the Lower St. Johns River, Florida

The macrobenthos in the oligohaline 132 km reach of the Lower St. Johns River, Florida, is an unusual blend of freshwater and marine organisms within the annelid, mollusk, aquatic insect, and crustacean groups. During 1993–1994, the community composition was freshwater-oriented in the 47 km (seg I) and estuarine-dominated in the lower 85 km (seg II). Of the total 146 taxa collected, 89% were euryecious 'eutrophic' and 'pollution-tolerant' organisms. Densities ranged between 5000 and 20 000 individuals/m² ann av and maximum densities (85 000 individuals/m²) occurred in the muck substrate at the confluence of major tributaries and embayments. Throughout the lake-like seg II, benthic hypoxia existed during much of summer through fall. Biotic index values for grab, artificial substrate, and sled trawl samples reflected greatest stresses to the macrobenthos then. Both low taxonomic diversity and densities of organisms at the most downriver stations nearest the port of Jacksonville indicated that toxic substances also adversely affected the macrobenthos. Maintenance of the narrow band of littoral submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and adjacent shoreline riparian vegetation is important to sustain macrobenthic communities and other kinds of aquatic life in the river.     

长江流域鄂西四河流大型底栖动物群落结构特征及水质生物学评价

鄂西水系是国家级水源保护区,也是湖北省重要的生态旅游区。为了解鄂西水生态健康状况,于2014年10月~2017年1月不同时段在宜昌国家可持续发展实验示范区卷桥河（J）、清江利川段（Q）、宜昌市水源地黄柏河（H）和丹江口入库河流天河郧西段（T）开展了底栖动物群落特征研究。研究表明：4个河段共采集到大型底栖动物5门8纲18目61科。基于底栖动物指示种耐污性及其丰度占比分析,表明J、Q和T三河流污染程度沿水流方向呈加重趋势,而H水体健康状况整体较好。运用FBI和SIGNAL底栖生物评价指数,显示四条河流健康程度沿水流方向均呈下降趋势,但H变化趋势平缓,结果表明H水体上下游均处于较健康状态,其他3条河流上游或源头水体健康状况良好,下游受到较重污染。对主要环境因子（TP、NH₃-N、COD_Mn和TN）做主成分分析表明,轴1的解释率达到65.1%,表明轴1可以有效表征主要环境压力梯度。FBI和SIGNAL指数与轴1线性拟合度均较高,表明二者在鄂西河流水生态健康评估中可作为快速生物评价指数。     

Negotiating energy democracy in practice: governance processes in community energy projects

There is a growing ‘energy democracy’ (ED) movement which regards the transition to renewable energy as an opportunity for socio-economic transformation, as well as technological innovation. The literature on ED tends to associate greater democratic control of energy systems with increased community control over the means of energy generation and distribution. Nonetheless, this literature often assumes rather than demonstrates that the forms of governance it promotes are more democratic than the status quo. This analysis contributes to the emerging field of ED by assessing the complex and varied ways in which communities in Scotland practise energy governance. By focusing on three key governance processes (decision-making, accountability and dispute resolution), the importance of local contexts for the establishment and negotiation of democratic practices is demonstrated. This local specificity, however, also raises further questions regarding the universal applicability of the ED concept.     

杭州快速路、主次干道植物群落降噪功能比较研究

城市绿地是城市生态系统的重要组成部分,在改善城市生态系统方面有重要作用。现今交通是城市环境中的主要噪声来源,城市道路绿地是交通噪声治理的有效方式之一。本文选取杭州市西湖区不同等级的三条道路(紫金港路、天目山路和丰潭路)作为研究对象,利用手持噪声测量仪测量实时噪声对不同道路等级和距离的绿地降噪效果进行分析。研究发现,杭州市三条道路存在以下问题:(1)噪声距离道路越远越低,且噪声平均衰减率表明绿地降噪效果为主干道次干道快速路;(2)配置模式为乔木+灌木+地被的绿地植物群落的降噪效果最佳,且乔木和灌木交错的种植形式在降噪效果上优于灌木在前、乔木在后的排列式种植;(3)当道路绿地宽达到15m时,植物群落降噪效果会有大幅度提升,且快速路与次干道在距离为15m处,植物群落降噪能力最佳。     

Achieving sustainable development goals through participatory forest management: Examples from South-Eastern Bangladesh

Forests managed through peoples' participation can help to achieve a number of sustainable development goals (SDGs). This paper, drawing data from four participatory forest management (PFM) projects in south-eastern Bangladesh, explored: (a) the factors that influenced the outcomes of PFM; and (b) contribution of PFM towards achieving selected SDGs. The research used observation, semi-structured household interviews, group discussions, vegetation survey and Ostromʼs design principles for data collection, Divergent forest conditions and factors in four PFM sites have had differential contribution to SDGs. Heterogeneity of user groups, insufficient coordination, absence of motivation, and land tenure conflicts had affected the attainment of SDGs. The PFM helped to achieve 9–11 SDGs comprising poverty reduction (Goal 1), improving food security (Goal 2), maintaining health and well-being (Goal 3), enhancing childrensʼ education (Goal 4), fair access to jobs and committees (Goals 5 and 10), sources of clean drinking water (Goal 6), affordable energy for cooking (Goal 7), increased household economy (Goal 8), climate change through carbon sequestration (Goal 13), forest conservation (Goal 15), and partnerships with relevant institutions (Goal 16). In order to achieve SDGs, PFM could be viewed as an integral part of government development strategies, which needs sectoral coordination and integration of relevant policies.     

化学品固有生物降解性试验OECD标准方法的适用性检验与改进

在经济合作与发展组织(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development,OECD)颁布的3项固有生物降解标准测试方法中,改进的MITI(Ⅱ)(OECD 302C)方法因适用于难溶、易吸附和弱挥发等物质的固有生物降解性评估,成为目前适用范围较为广的方法。但OECD 302C对接种物规定特殊,需周期性采集不少于10个位点、不同类型的接种物进行驯养,采集、驯养和维持成本及操作复杂程度相对高,而OECD 302C方法获取的化学品生物降解率并未优于其他2项固有生物降解方法。因此,对10位点采集并驯养不同时间的接种物及污水处理厂曝气池采集的活性污泥进行微生物学特征比较,采用Biolog微生物鉴定系统及磷脂脂肪酸分析系统研究2种不同接种物的代谢活性及群落多样性,同时比较2种接种物对6种化学品的固有生物降解能力。结果表明,驯养接种物在驯养14 d后,活性与多样性开始下降,与真实环境来源接种物(10位点采集且未驯养接种物,即驯养0 d的接种物)的微生物群落差别较大。驯养1个月后的接种物在碳源利用活性、降解能力上与污水处理厂曝气池新鲜采集的活性污泥无明显差异。故笔者认为,在试验条件下,OECD 302C标准方法中的驯养接种物未达到预期目的,未经驯养的活性污泥更能反映真实环境,未来可以活性污泥作为该方法的接种物进行后续降解方法改进的研究。     

城市社区风险治理若干问题探讨

为提升社区风险治理水平,本文阐述了社区与社区风险的概念,分析了社区风险的复杂性和多样性,探讨了提升社区风险治理水平的几个关键问题。结果表明:社区居民参与、网格化管理、科技支撑和法制建设是提升社区风险治理水平的关键。